So, after seven years and seven seasons, the hit cult series that redefined horror and action has come to an end. What has seemed like a torturous season for the “Scoobies” has ended. We have seen all the potential slayers, young scared girls from around the world trained by the best, fight the demons and vampires, minions of the darkness, without any experience and many have died, some tragically. We saw a demonic being called “The First” wreak havoc on each of the heroes minds one by one, causing some to question their allegiance, and some to commit brutal acts of violence, we saw, a once evil nemesis become a hero once again as Faith, the rival slayer to Buffy, returned to fight off “the first” and seek redemption for her murders.
We watched an evil powerful preacher called Caleb, beat the slayer and the potentials to a bloody pulp and destroy Xander’s eye without hesitation, as he stood by “The First’s” right hand, laughing psychotically, we watched many of the heroes’ fall into each other’s arms, Spike actually fell in love with Buffy, and an epic battle between good and evil ensued. Yes, it’s been fun for all, boys and ghouls. In the last episode, Buffy discovered a mystical axe that the basically fearless preacher Caleb, became terrified of and backed off. Buffy and he sparred again, and our old friend, Angel, the tortured vampire with a soul intercepted the fight, helping Buffy. Inevitably Buffy fought Caleb once more and split him in two with the axe.
She then went back to H.Q. and received a visit from “The First” as it attempted to get into her mind now that it was powerless, but by the evil being’s taunting, she discovered a revelation, “They will win the battle”. So, she devised a plan, a risky one that she and the others would attempt: They would all go to the school that lay atop the hell mouth where the evil lay dormant, and they would open it themselves, drawing the evil out and taking it head on. And, that’s what they did with unbelievable results. She convinced willow to open it with her divine powers, and it was successful, too successful. Because, as the group entered the hell mouth and looked onto the millions upon millions of vampires below, Buffy hoped Willow would regroup her powers, but, alas, it was too late and they’d been spotted by the demon army. So, prepared, and ready to die, they fought the army. Buffy, Faith, and the potentials took on the vampire army first, and the rest held them up, preventing them from entering the sewer system.
I was very anxious to see this last episode, I saw the first four seasons loyally, drifted away from it, and came back for the last season to see who might die and what will develop. What can I say about this finale, other than it was really good? We saw a great battle in the ending with the entire army of good fighting off the army of bad. Not to say this wasn’t a funny episode as well. What would a Joss Whedon show be without a little humor? I laughed aloud when Buffy told Angel she loved Spike and he was different because he had a soul and Angel mutters “Everybody has a soul now… you know I started it all.” I laughed aloud as he became so childish as Buffy replied “What are you twelve?”. Angel was only in this for about five minutes, sadly, as Buffy basically gave him the heave-ho, telling him she didn’t want him to die. I loved how Spike witnessed their romantic encounter and became jealous.
I liked how Buffy saw as Spike pummeled a punching bag with a hand- drawn picture of Angel on the front, shrewdly drawn with spiky hair and a large forehead. I loved how in the end, the four (Willow, Xander, Buffy, and Giles) stood in a circle one last time chatting with each other. It was a masterful scene; the four fighters. It all started with them, and it all ended with them. As they parted ways, Giles proclaims “The world is definitely doomed.” This line was an homage to the pilot episode. It’s the exact same line he mutters in the ending. I loved the finale, as Buffy’s voice can be heard, telling how she will change the “one slayer” rule, and opens up her power to every potential slayer on Earth, giving them their very own powers. This, of course transfers to the others and they beat the army courageously. And who, do you ask, died? Anya and Spike. Anya was killed by one of the vampires while saving Andrew’s life and Spike became a prophet. Once, an instrument of evil, he was given a mystic chain by Buffy, who received it from Angel.
Spike wore the necklace and a heavenly power arose from him killing all the vampires like roaches, and it killed him as well. I felt this was a big surprise, because he handled his death with such tenacity. In the last moments of his life, he muttered “I want to see how this ends”, and with a laugh of triumph, he burnt to dust, becoming the true hero. All of the characters were forced to face their own mortality, and also discovered they were heroes. Aside from one bloody epic battle, this was a very disappointing finale. First off, my main gripe, UPN gave this show an hour episode. “Dawson’s Creek” ended with a great two hour finale, yet this ended with a one hour episode. Why? So UPN could premiere a new reality show. Bah to UPN! Bah, I say! I felt the first hour should have focused on the preparation for the battle, the character’s facing their lives and each other, then the last hour should have focused on the battle at hand.
I felt the fight scenes were too short and choppy, and we didn’t focus enough on the character’s deaths. We see Anya be chopped by a vampire, and then we cut to the other fights. I didn’t feel any emotional impact by her death because I didn’t have time to groan in sadness. As I mentioned, the fight scenes were too short to have any impact on me and the pacing of the story was too fast to get comfortable with. Plus, everyone makes a big deal about “The First”, and it claims to be so big and bad throughout all these episodes, but Buffy kills it with one swipe of the axe?! I could have done that! I was expecting “The First” to take on its true form and battle the “Scoobies” in a great battle, but alas, it was just a dud. I was so anxious to Angel appear in the show but, he only appears for a few minutes and leaves! What in the world?! The world might be ending and he leaves because Buffy tells him to get lost? Come on, dude! Where are your grapes at?! I was disappointed yet again.
In spite of my gripes, I loved the last thirty minutes, because we saw the entire army crawl up the walls at the “Scoobies” ala “Lord of the Rings”. I enjoyed the incredible finale as Sunnydale collapsed into a gigantic crater, closing off the hell mouth. The surviving heroes stood over it triumphantly, looking down onto their battlefield prompting Giles to say: “There’s another hell mouth… not to rain on anyone’s parade.” What’s that you ask? Yes, there is another hell mouth, and the ending was left incomplete, prompting, in my opinion, some potential outcomes: 1. we could see a spin-off with one of the potentials or supporting characters, 2. we could see a movie sometime soon, 3. OR they continue fighting leaving it all up to our imaginations. It’s been a great seven years.
What was once an obscure and basically forgettable movie was reborn and reinvented as a hit series by original creator Joss Whedon, who masterfully created scripts that were dramatic, sexy, hilarious, scary, and adventurous all in one package per episode. Not many writers can do that nowadays. We watched many a cast member come and go, some good characters, and some bad one, and we watched many a bad guy come and go, some ugly and fang- mouthed, and some deliciously devilish. The WB network handed the series over to UPN after five years, and the UPN never gave the series the justice it deserved. We watched a bubble headed teen turn into a strong heroine, a young impish outcast turn into a hot lesbian goddess, and an unpopular misfit turned hero and leader fighting good and evil. Every time Buffy, Xander, Willow, and the other “Scoobies” fought against the forces of evil, facing incredible odds, we, the fans fought alongside them, and we stuck by them through thick and thin.
My Favorites:
- Heroes: Angel, Spike, Faith, Riley, Cordelia, Oz
- Villains: Angelus, The Master, Spike and Drusilla, Caleb
- My least favorite characters: Anya, Dawn, Andrew
- Favorite Series Arcs: Angel becomes Angelus, Buffy’s mom dies, Dawn is revealed as Buffy’s sister, Willow discovers she’s a lesbian, Angel leaves the show, Faith becomes bad, Epic school battle with the school kids versus the evil mayor, Spike and Drusilla enter the show, Buffy kills Angel.